In the Face of Opposition
2 Timothy 3:1 You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come.
I don’t know if you’ve picked it, but life ain’t always that easy. Have you … noticed that? We kind of figure to ourselves that it should be. At least … it should be easier than what it is.
But there’s always some adversity out there, some opposition, some conflict – to take the shine off things. And I’ll tell you what that does to us. It discourages us. It starts to tear away at the hopes and the dreams that we had for our lives.
And when that happens, we’re tempted … sorely tempted … to give up on the gifts and abilities that God’s tucked away inside each one of us.
The wise old Apostle Paul, writing to his young protégé Timothy all about rekindling the gift that lay within him, had this to say:
You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. (2 Timothy 3:1)
I love how real the Bible is. I always expected it to be more like a theology textbook. Dry and theoretical. But God deals with the real, practical things that we confront every day, right there in His Word, the Bible.
And as Paul here is talking to Timothy about getting on and using his ministry gifts to bring people to Christ, the Holy Spirit prompts him to write about the realities of the last days. The context in which Timothy was operating. The context in which we’re living.
More and more, as society and as people move further and further away from God, it’s becoming harder and harder to live out an authentic faith in Jesus. Let alone speaking to other people about Jesus, and leading them to the Lord.
The opposition is rising again, have you noticed? For so long we in the comfortable west have taken our freedoms and the ease with which we can practice our faith for granted.
But the times, they are a changing. And the brutal reality is – you must understand this, you must, don’t miss it, because it’s important – that in these last days, distressing times will come.
No, not “might possibly come”. Not “are likely” to come. No – they WILL come. That’s the brutal reality. Be aware of that. Don’t be surprised by that. Don’t be discourage by that.
That’s the reality. The question is … given that brutal reality, will you step out and rekindle your gifts, your God-given abilities and dreams anyway? Will you get out there and serve God and honour Him anyway?
Because that’s the call of God on your life and mine.
Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. (2 Timothy 4:14)
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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